A better market have been created for grape farmers in Jaffna, with the opening of the A-9 road, Agriculture (Extension) Deputy Director Jaffna, S.Sivakumar said. He said there were 52 hectares cultivated with grapes in Jaffna in 2009 and farmers have now cultivated 56 hectares and the cultivated area increases gradually. Though there are other grapes growing districts in Sri Lanka, Jaffna is the only district growing the fruit on a commercial basis, he said. There are 400 farmers cultivating grapes in Jaffna and because of the big demand farmers who gave up cultivation have resumed cultivation of grapes, Sivakumar said. "Farmers cultivate grapes during two seasons. The main season is August-September and the other is January-February. Consumers expect the same quality as grapes imported from Australia. Australian grapes are more sweeter and seedless. We have introduced more sweeter grape varieties namely Cardinal and Israel Blue for farmers engaged in grape cultivation in Jaffna," the Deputy Director said.
Courtesy : Daily News
The drilling for oil in the sea off the North Western coast in Mannar would be completed in three stages. The first step will take three years while the other two stages will take two and three years respectively, Petroleum Resources Minister Susil Premajayantha said. Cairn Sri Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Cairn India (Pvt. Ltd), is to commence drilling of the first three oil wells in the Mannar Basin.
Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority Dr.Priyath Bandu Wickrama said filling of water to the newly constructed Hambantota Harbour basin will commence in the second week of August. He said the Hambantota Port was built inland and the mouths of it are to be opened in August to fill it with water.
Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and French Ambassador Christine Robichon signed an Agreement to implement a mega water supply scheme in Trincomalee, a Water Supply and Drainage Board spokesman said. The spokesman said this mega water supply scheme is to be implemented in Trincomalee at a cost of Rs1,800 million. The French Government will fund this project and around 300,000 people in Trincomalee will benefit from this water supply scheme.
The Power and Energy Ministry has already completed 12 electricity projects in Kilinochchi district with two major projects at a cost of Rs.86 million under the "Uthuru Wasanthaya" program to provide electricity to the Northern province. Providing electricity to the North has been identified by the Government as a priority. The intention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to provide all benefits of development enjoyed by the people in the South to the people in the North as well, Deputy Power and Energy Minister Premalal Jayasekera told the Sunday Observer.
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